


Corruption

by HMSquared



Series: The Memoirs of Elliott Witt [12]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Abuse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Corruption, Fight Or Fright 2020, Geez it only took...12 entries for these idiots to talk about their feelings?, Gen, Ghosts, Injury, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, References to Depression, sounds about right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27155678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HMSquared/pseuds/HMSquared
Summary: Maybe putting Mirage and the Shadow Royale together was a bad idea.
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt, Mirage | Elliott Witt & Wraith | Renee Blasey
Series: The Memoirs of Elliott Witt [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1879465
Kudos: 18





	Corruption

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sleep deprived it's not even funny. Apologies for the ramblings in this.

Mirage knew why they were letting him compete in the Shadow Royale. If he were to, say, die permanently over there… Well, it would lift a weight from Blisk’s shoulders.

The trickster didn’t care. He was simply ecstatic to be competing again. Standing on the dropship, Mirage smiled.

To make matters better, he got to compete with his two favorite people: Wraith and Rampart. Wraith flashed him a warm smile, Rampart bouncing excitedly at his side. Mirage was happy.

“You seem happy,” Crypto quipped. For right now, he was a voice in the trickster’s head. Mirage nodded as he looked out at the night sky. Nothing could go wrong...right?

They landed in Skull Town. As Rampart marveled at the buildings, Mirage sprinted toward a pair of supply bins in the sand. He got a Volt and Evo Shield for his trouble.

“Behind you.” Mirage spun around at Crypto’s direction and fired. Bangalore crumbled to the ground. From the position of her hands, he guessed she had no weapons and planned to choke him out.

“Elliott!” Wraith’s voice. A bullet missed his head by two inches, grazing Mirage’s ear. He slowly turned back around.

Loba was on a rooftop, sniper rifle in hand. Rampart furiously built cover nearby as Wraith scaled the building.

An image flashed through Mirage’s brain. He remembered Crypto falling and coughing up blood. Tears stained the trickster’s face.

“Elliott!” Wraith again. Mirage saw her tackle Loba a second too late. The bullet hit him right between the eyes.

Cold air filled his body. He sat up, not fully aware. The world was spinning.

Every bad thought, every horrible memory from his past...everything came crashing down on Mirage at once. His eyes flared a murderous orange, his skin the crackled black of a shadow. He got to his feet.

Crypto had been ejected from the trickster’s body. He stood there, watching Mirage. Something was clearly wrong.

“Witt?”

“You yank!” Rampart sprinted up to him, Wraith close behind. They braked at the sight of the hacker. “Crypto?”

“He must be an illusion,” Wraith quickly lied. Before Crypto could gratefully nod, Mirage spun around and clocked him.

He stumbled, but did not fall over. An ugly sneer appeared on the trickster’s face.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Crypto blinked, trying to look his friend in the eye.

“And why is that?” When Mirage responded, there was no humor in his voice.

“Because if you stay, I’m going to kill you all over again.”

His foot collided with Crypto’s face. The hacker fell to his knees, hands smashing into sand. Mirage cackled under his breath and swung.

Even as a ghost, the punches hurt. Crypto brought his hands up to block his face, and Mirage pushed them away. He kicked the hacker again, sending him onto his stomach.

A foot began to press down on his throat. It all seemed so paradoxical: a ghost gasping for air. But that’s exactly what Crypto was doing, and Mirage didn’t seem to care how much pain he was in.

“Elliott, stop!” Wraith lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the trickster’s neck. She squeezed, pressing his temples with her hands. Mirage flailed as gurgling sounds escaped him. Crypto didn’t move a muscle.

The color in his eyes began to fade. Mirage squeezed Wraith’s forearms and stopped shaking. Bile rose in his throat.

He exploded in a blast of orange and black. Crypto’s eyes widened in horror. Wraith and Rampart shouted in unison. The sky cracked open...then everything fell silent.

Mirage bolted awake. His skin was buzzing with electricity. He sucked in air, trying to remember how life worked.

He was lying in his quarters. Much like the last time something like this happened, Wraith stood against the doorframe. She moved closer upon seeing the panic in Mirage’s eyes.

“You’re okay. We’re back home, you’re okay.” He blinked. Everything hurt.

The memories came rushing back. Mirage shut out the world with his hands and began to sob. After a moment, his crying turned to screaming.

Wraith didn’t move a muscle. She simply remained at the foot of her friend’s bed, waiting for him to speak. How long that took wasn’t an issue.

“How…” Hoarse, Mirage swallowed. “How many people got hurt?”

“No one. When you...exploded, we were far enough away.”

“How am I alive?”

“Your chip.” Wraith realized the implications a second too late. A bitter laugh escaped Mirage.

“So when I nearly die, it’s okay, but Crypto dies twice.” The corners of his eyes were slick with tears. He looked about ready to scream again.

“I’m sorry,” Wraith whispered. Mirage nodded, covering his face with one arm.

“How’s Rampart?”

“She’s convinced you hate her guts.” The trickster winced.

“I’ll make her breakfast?”

“And lunch.”

“Fine.” There was a knock at the door. The two friends turned around. Crypto was standing there, hands in his pockets. Wraith swallowed.

“I was right,” she whispered. Mirage looked up at her.

“You knew?”

“Let’s just say Octane and I had a conversation, and then I figured out.” Surprisingly, Wraith’s little stunt in the arena hadn’t made it to television. Mirage shut his eyes again.

“He...is such a pain in the ass.”

“I know.”

“Elliott.” Crypto stepped forward, careful not to hit Wraith’s bubble. Mirage held up one hand.

“No, Crypto, stop. I...am so, so sorry.”

“Elliott…”

“Can you let me finish? I love you more than anything, and yet I keep screwing it up.” The room fell silent. Wraith looked from Mirage to Crypto, prepared to punch the hacker in the stomach.

“Elliott Witt...you are a goofball and an idiot. But I guess…” His cheeks turned uncharacteristically pink. “That’s why I love you too.” Crypto crossed the room and took Mirage’s hand in his. Wraith quietly slipped out of the room.

The trickster drew the hacker into a sharp kiss. When they broke apart, more tears slid down his cheeks.

“Stay.” Crypto nodded, a rare smile forming on his lips.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

**Author's Note:**

> If nothing else, here is what I tried to convey with this fic: Mirage finally tells Crypto he loves him, Crypto reciprocates, and Wraith is their cheerleader.


End file.
